Onkyo Controller vs Russound
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Onkyo Controller
Control compatible Onkyo network products with this official remote app. Stream music from various sources, manage playback, and operate connected home theater devices. Features automatic sound field correction for compatible products.
- Music playback from streaming services
- Control music library and NAS drives
- Remote control functions (play, volume, input)
- Operate connected Blu-Ray players and TVs
- Automatic sound field correction (Dirac Live)
- Check audio/video formats
- Turn on compatible units remotely
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Onkyo Controller is the official Onkyo remote control application that allows users to conveniently operate compatible Onkyo network products from their iPhone/iPod touch/iPad. The intuitive, user-friendly interface makes it easy to get more from your AV home entertainment experience. Main functions that can be operated through this application. (1) Play music in each room or every room - Lets you play music from music streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, DEEZER and TIDAL, your music library on your smart device, or your NAS drive on compatible products. - You can play your music via radio, Bluetooth and USB. (2) Remote control functions - You can operate general control functions (play/stop, control the volume, select the input source, etc.) from your smartphone. (3) Operation of connected product(home theater product such as AV amplifier) - Lets you control a Blu-Ray Disc player or TV that is connected to an AV amplifier or home theater product via HDMI. (4) Dirac Live-enabled products measure automatic sound field correction. In addition, filters can be edited. (5) Audio/Video formats of input and output can also be checked. *By setting the “Network Standby” menu item in the unit’s initial settings to ON, you can use this application to turn on the power of the unit. Compatible models Network AV Receivers/Network Audio Player/Home Theater/Wireless Speaker in April 2016 or later ■ Please note ・To use Application it needs to read and agree Terms of Service. ・All models require a firmware update to use Onkyo Controller. ・Available Service depends on regions. ・Why Device's location is needed? Answer: In order to set-up your wireless devices which are located around you, SSID and Access Point info is needed. There is no other purpose to use the information of Device’s Location.
Russound
Control your multiroom audio system from your iPhone or iPad. Manage zones, access system favorites, and view source metadata like album art. Supports various music streaming services with compatible hardware.
- Zone control
- Source metadata and album art
- System favorites management
- Streaming service integration
- DLNA support
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The Russound app is the perfect way to control your Russound Multiroom Audio System from your iPhone or iPad. Key Features: *Easy control of any zone *Source Metadata, including album art for supported sources *Access to System Favorites - Create, edit or delete any favorites from your iPhone or iPad. *Supports compatible music services such as Spotify®, Pandora®, SiriusXM®, TIDAL, Deezer, TuneIn®, vTuner®, DLNA and more when used with compatible Russound streaming audio products. Compatibility varies by Russound device. Works with: Any network-connected Russound SMZ-Series, MCA-Series, MBX Series or XStream Series products. Note: Available features and screens within the Russound app are dependent on the connected Russound devices and the configured streaming services and physical sources connected to the devices.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Russound at 2.8 against Onkyo Controller's 2.2. Russound also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Onkyo Controller's advantage is review sentiment (26% vs 11%) and ratings volume (620 vs 54). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Russound holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Onkyo Controller has 620 ratings behind it against 54, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of Onkyo Controller's written reviews are positive against 11% of Russound's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Onkyo Controller ships an update every 2 months, Russound every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Onkyo Controller | Russound |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (620 ratings) | 2.8 (54 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.6% of reviews — better | 11.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 620 — better | 54 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 84 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 11 Trading Company LLC | Russound FMP |
Customer experience
Onkyo Controller
Russound
Bugs and requests
Onkyo Controller
Reported bugs
5 issues- App doesn't recognize receiver
- Fails to connect to Wi-Fi
- Loses connection during use
- Doesn't work with iOS 13 and newer
- Causes receiver to enter Direct mode unexpectedly
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Tidal and Deezer integration
- Allow customization of input names
- Add sleep timer and power off options
- Improve volume control and speaker balance adjustments
Russound
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Onkyo Controller
No in-app purchases
Russound
No in-app purchases








